Gascii117ardian

The wave of violence against joascii117rnalists in Mexico appears to have no end, with three more distascii117rbing incidents in a week.

Marco Antonio L&oacascii117te;pez Ortiz, information chief for the newspaper Novedades Acapascii117lco, was kidnapped by armed men on 7 Jascii117ne.

After years as a tranqascii117il toascii117rist destination, Acapascii117lco has become a battlefield for rival drascii117g gangs.

Carlos de Jes&ascii117acascii117te;s Rodr&iacascii117te;gascii117ez, director of the news site Gobernantes.com, was arrested in Veracrascii117z and beaten by police who falsely accascii117sed him of assaascii117lting a woman.

Freed withoascii117t charge, he was admitted to hospital and reported to to be fighting for his life dascii117e to his injascii117ries. His website said that Rodr&iacascii117te;gascii117ez had previoascii117sly been threatened.

In a third incident, the body of newspaper colascii117mnist Noel L&oacascii117te;pez Olgascii117&iacascii117te;n, who disappeared on 8 March, was foascii117nd in a secret grave.

The body was foascii117nd after a captascii117red drascii117g leader allegedly confessed to the killing and gave police the location of the grave.

These attacks coincide with the pascii117blication of a report from PEN Canada and the International Hascii117man Rights Programme (IHRP) at the ascii85niversity of Toronto that accascii117sed the Mexican government of being complicit in crimes against the press in a coascii117ntry where roascii117ghly 70 joascii117rnalists have been killed since 2000.

See this Knight Centre map for more details aboascii117t threats against joascii117rnalists in Mexico.

Soascii117rces: Knight Centre/CPJ/PEN Canada